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The Northwest Ambulance Service (NWAS) declared a “major incident” due to a large number of calls Monday night.
In a statement posted on Twitter and Facebook, NWAS said that if callers have a non-life-threatening concern, they may be asked to seek treatment elsewhere or to make their own way to the hospital.
A spokesperson later said the incident had been dropped.
They had previously said that “there is currently nothing to indicate that this increase in calls is related to COVID-19”, and that “Mondays are usually a very busy day.”
On Facebook, the service added that the increase in 999 calls was particularly in the Greater Manchester area.
People were also urged to call 111 for medical assistance.
It is not clear what caused the influx of calls.
The NWAS spokesperson had said: “We are rolling out additional support throughout the Northwest and will keep a close eye on the situation throughout the night.”
They continued: “There are patients who are facing a delay and we are very sorry that we cannot respond as quickly as we would like.”
The NWAS Union, which represents service members, also tweeted: “Please help our teams by calling us only if you really need us. They are being mistreated right now and will get back to you as soon as they can.
“Please consider using 111 First. Thank you.”
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